Method and system for quantifying anaesthesia or a state of vigilance

A method for quantifying at least one of anaesthesia and a state of vigilance from a plurality of parameters acquired from a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring a plurality of p parameters pertaining to said subject, said parameters being selected from a first parameter group comprising electrocardiogram data acquired from said subject, a heart rate, a heart rate variability, a blood pressure, a blood pressure variability, a breathing gas composition, a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelled effect site concentration and/or plasma concentration, and/or a second parameter group comprising electroencephalogram data and/or auditory evoked potential data acquired from said subject, and/or a third parameter group comprising subject data and/or medication data;
• wherein p≧2, and at least one of said p parameters is selected from said first parameter group or said second parameter group;
• wherein said parameters of at least one of said first parameter group and said second parameter group are acquired continuously or at predetermined time intervals by monitoring said subject;
• and
• determining an indicator that performs at least one of quantifying a depth of anaesthesia, detecting intraoperative awareness and quantifying an analgesic component of anaesthesia or a state of vigilance of said subject from said p parameters;
• wherein said step of determining said indicator comprises a step of combining said p parameters, wherein said number p of parameters is variable while monitoring said subject.

A system for quantifying at least one of anaesthesia and a state of vigilance from a plurality of parameters acquired from a subject, said system comprising:

• acquisition means adapted to acquire a plurality of p parameters pertaining to said subject, said parameters being selected from at least one of a first parameter group, a second parameter group, and a third parameter group, wherein said first parameter group comprises at least one of electrocardiogram data acquired from said subject, a heart rate, a heart rate variability, a blood pressure, a blood pressure variability, a breathing gas composition, a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelled effect site concentration and plasma concentration, wherein said second parameter group comprises at least one of electroencephalogram data and auditory evoked potential data acquired from said subject, and wherein said a third parameter group comprises at least one of subject data and medication data;
• wherein p≧2, and at least one of said p parameters is selected from said first parameter group or said second parameter group;
• wherein said acquisition means are adapted to acquire said parameters of at least one of said first parameter group and said second parameter group continuously or at predetermined time intervals;
• and
• calculation means adapted to determine from said p parameters an indicator that quantifies a depth of anaesthesia and/or detects intraoperative awareness and/or quantifies an analgesic component of anaesthesia or a state of vigilance of said subject;
• characterized in that said acquisition means are adapted to acquire a number p of parameters that varies while monitoring said subject, and said calculation means are adapted to determine said indicator by combining said number p of parameters that varies while monitoring said subject.